Asymmetric Encryption
Asymmetric encryption is a cryptographic scheme that uses a mathematically linked key pair: a public key anyone may use to encrypt, and a private key held by the recipient alone, which is the only one able to decrypt.
What is Asymmetric Encryption?
Definition
Asymmetric Encryption (public-key cryptography) is a scheme in which encryption and decryption use two mathematically linked keys: a public key anyone may hold, and a private key kept by its owner alone. Because the two sides never have to agree a secret in advance, asymmetric encryption is what makes secure communication possible between parties that have never met — it underpins TLS, digital signatures and certificate-based authentication. Its cost is speed, so in practice it is used to establish a symmetric session key rather than to encrypt bulk data.
Role in cybersecurity
Asymmetric Encryption plays an important role in building organizational resilience against cyber threats. Implementing appropriate mechanisms in this area is required by regulations such as NIS2, DORA and ISO 27001.